Picture
by xFireSpritex
Summary: Based on the song Picture sung by Cheryl Crow and Kid Rock. Focuses on Jeff Hardy and Trish Stratus and their relationship. Please read and review. Rated for language and mentions of drugsalcohol.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Different girl every night at the hotel 

"Livin my life in a slow hell  
Different girl every night at the hotel  
I ain't seen the sunshine  
In three damn days"

Ever since our little romance on screen I thought of you every night. But somehow we fell apart, everyone, even my brother and his girlfriend, thought we'd stay together. They all thought we'd make it and break all the stereotypes of how a gothic, artistic guy like me could never be with a blonde bombshell beauty like you.

Now I spend my nights in the hotel thinking, drinking, and fucking random girls. Most of them are curvy blondes that remind me of you, though none of them can ever measure up to you of course. They all slip me their numbers and ask me to call them. Once they're out the door their number is in the trash bin. I wonder if the cleaning people find all the numbers crumpled up in there and if they do, do they judge me for it?

But none of that really matters. Raw is tonight, you've been pulling away from me, I've been in this hotel for three days straight, I haven't left it since I arrived, and I really don't feel like going to work. I arrived at night and I'm getting ready to leave as the sun goes down. I bet I look paler than usual which is all the more reason for you to step away from me.

"Been fuelin'up on cocaine and whiskey  
Wish I had a good girl to miss me  
Lord I wonder if I'll ever change my ways"

I haven't changed and you can see it as we walk down the same hallway. You look at me, a small look of concern on your face but it soon fades as realization hits and your beautiful features are distorted into a look of disgust. You can probably tell just by looking at me that there are drugs in my system and that I've finished off that bottle of whiskey that I bought once we'd arrived.

I just walk past you, not bothering to attempt a conversation. It'll turn out as a disaster anyway. You're the beautiful good girl that everyone loves and I'm the "conflicted" screw up that the company is just looking for a reason to get rid of. I doubt anyone would miss me if I did leave though, I know you won't.

"I put your picture away  
Sat down and cried today  
I can't look at you while I'm lying next to her  
I put your picture away  
Sat down and cried today  
I can't look at you while I'm lying next to her"

When I left Raw I went right back to the hotel and lay down on the bed, ignoring all my phone calls. I rolled over and opened my suitcase after pulling it out from under the bed. Inside of it was a picture of you. I stared at it for a few moments, trying to memorize every feature before I folded it up and stuck it into a small zippered pocket on the inside of the bag, telling myself that I won't look at it anymore, that I won't miss you anymore.

But I do miss you. As I zip up the bag and slide it under the bed a tear falls but I wipe it away, angry with myself for falling for you like I have. I knew it was too good to be true. I sighed and stood, going to shower before getting dressed in tight pants and a skin tight shirt knowing that some girls around here were needing sex and that they'd take it from anyone who was partially attractive and I intended on doing that. Once I was dressed and assured that I looked okay I left the hotel and headed to the nearest bar to find a new girl.

It didn't take long to pick this one up. Her name was Tara, funny how it's sort of like yours, huh? She had long blonde hair, longer than yours; it reached to about halfway down her back. She was smaller than you but the name and the hair did enough for me. We walked into my room and she looked around, smiling. We talked for maybe a minute before we both snapped and started touching each other's skin and running our hands through each other's hair.

A few hours later she's asleep on my chest. I look over at the clock and thank God that I hid your picture. I would have felt like shit with it sitting there tonight, as it always is when I fall asleep looking at it. But not tonight, tonight I fall asleep with Tara, a girl who I know nothing more about other than she likes cranberry and vodka drinks and that she's twenty-four and for me, that's good enough.

She's something for me to pretend with until tomorrow when I know I'll have to see you on the plane. Until then I can pretend Tara is you and that she loves me like I thought you did. I fall asleep as I mentally replace her face and body with yours, wishing that I knew what made you pull away.

**AN:** So what'd you think so far? The song belongs to Kid Rock and Cheryl Crow and is called "Picture" This chapter was obviously from Jeff's point of view. I'll be taking bits of the song and relating it to either Jeff or Trish and if there's a switch mid chapter I'll make note of it. Please Read and Review.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Everyone knows but they won't tell 

"I called you last night in the hotel  
Everyone knows but they won't tell  
But their half-hearted smiles tell me somethin' just ain't right"

I called and called and called but still no answer. You've been doing that a lot lately, ignoring phone calls. I don't know if it's just mine or if it's everyone's but I know you're ignoring me specifically.

Your brother and Amy hate me so I can't ask them. But whenever they see me in the halls backstage they both offer me this "I'm sorry" smile. Sorry for what? Maybe for the fact that you're losing interest or that you would rather I just disappear but it doesn't work like that. I want to know what, or rather who, you're doing when I'm not around. We used to talk for hours in person or on the phone, just to hear each other's voices and to get to know about each other but now we never speak, we barely look at each other.

And it sucks.

"I've been waitin' on you for a long time  
Fuelin' up on heartaches and cheap wine  
I ain't heard from you in three damn nights"

We arrived in this town three days ago. I know the first thing you did was go to the liquor store, which worries me. I tried calling you and left a voice mail, asking you to call me back ASAP and I haven't gotten a call. It's been very lonely these past three nights. I heard some of the guys talking about you leaving bars with a different girl each night. I was tempted to ask them what room you were in but knew that'd only draw attention to the rift between us so I didn't bother.

I saw a girl, a blonde, leaving last night. Her hair was pretty short, almost boyish, but she was busty and short, maybe a bit taller than me. She was in the lobby calling a friend for a ride, talking about the sex she just had and how they needed some serious girl talk time.

Hah, girl talk time. I traded girl talk with the Divas for conversations with you and now I have neither. I sat in my hotel room after the show, a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket on the side table next to me on the couch while I flipped through the channels.

I landed on some tearjerker romance movie that I can't remember the name of and stayed on it. I kept watching it hoping I'd cry for a second and maybe that'd open the floodgates so I could get out everything I was feeling.

When that didn't work on its own I began taking more than just sips of the wine. I stopped short of getting drunk and looked at the table where my cell phone sat. I swiped it up and looked at the screen. No missed calls.

I sighed and flipped it open and tried calling your cell phone. It rang over and over but you didn't answer. I sighed and hung up and at the same time gave up. I wasn't going to mope around wishing you were there, I was going to call up someone else.

"I put your picture away  
I wonder where you been  
I can't look at you while I'm lyin' next to him  
I put your picture away  
I wonder where you been  
I can't look at you while I'm lyin' next to him"

I flipped my phone open again and called an old friend of mine. Not for sex, but for comfort. He came right over and once he saw me he knew what I needed.

Without a word he kicked his shoes off and laid on the bed, his arms open to me, inviting me to lay with him. I did. Andrew, or Test as he was better known, was always good for this. He knew me better than myself, or at least I thought he did. He could tell what I needed and did it without question, without prying for answers, and that's why I called him.

Before I lay down though I saw my framed picture of us from maybe a month ago. I stared at it, looking at our smiles and I thought about how I haven't seen one of those from you in a long time. I sighed and turned the frame face down, so I couldn't see the sparkle in your eyes or the smile on your face.

Andrew didn't question, he just wrapped his arms around me when I lay down and we fell asleep like that. Fully clothed, on top of the covers, me crying into the pillow as he just held me.

Thank God I flipped the picture over. It would have killed me to lie in his arms and see your face.

**AN:** Please read and review. I live off of reviews and I tend to not post if people don't show they're reading.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: How've you been?**

"_I saw you yesterday with an old friend  
It was the same old same how've you been?  
Since you've been gone my worlds been dark and grey"_

-Trish-

When all of the superstars were on the plane I casually glanced around looking for your rainbow hair. I saw you standing with Amy, her red hair and your rainbow hair standing out like sore thumbs.

I watched as she hugged you tightly and talked to you in a low voice, concern evident on her face. I sighed and leaned back in my chair, thinking back to when we stopped talking.

It was after we'd been partners in a tag match. You went to shower and I hung around. We'd been so close to kissing again and God I wanted to. But then your cell phone rang while you were in the shower.

I know I shouldn't have done it but I answered it and didn't say a word. Immediately the person on the other end began to talk.

"Jeffy," came an airy female voice. "I need you baby, when are you coming home? I miss falling asleep with you. Tomorrow is our two year anniversary sweetie, please try and make it home or at least call…" She stopped talking and I held my breath. She kept calling for you and I hung up on her.

My head spun with questions. Two-year anniversary? I always thought you were single! Immediately I thought I was just a game, a challenge to you, and once that thought crossed my mind I ran out of the locker room and left for the hotel without you.

I treated you like shit for the next few days until I heard you on the phone with the same woman backstage. You told her to stop calling you and to get it through her head that you and her were over, that you had been for months. She kept insisting, I could hear it from where I stood. You hung up on her and I felt my stomach drop.

You weren't using me I jumped to conclusions. And my one flaw was that I could never admit I was wrong.

I should have known that by ignoring you I just pushed you away so far that you wouldn't come near me again. That's one thing we had talked about; how when people pushed us away that we could never go back to them. And now I'd lost you and it was my fault.

I sighed and closed my eyes tightly, fighting the tears. I heard someone come down the isle and mutter sorry as they most likely bumped into another passenger. But that sorry held a deep southern tinge to it. I sat up and turned just in time to see you walk past me, carrying your duffel bag over your shoulder.

You looked tired as you put your bag in the overhead compartment and collapsed into your chair, something we used to do side by side for these flights. Now I could only stare ahead as you put on your headphones and relaxed, most likely listening to Pearl Jam as you fell asleep before take off.

-Jeff-

I saw your blonde hair a few rows away from where I stood with Amy and Matt. Amy immediately hugging me and asking if I was okay, something she'd been doing a lot lately because she knew if Matt asked I'd blow him off but to her, I couldn't lie.

"No Amy I'm not alright," I admitted, running a hand through my hair.

"Did you drink too much?" she asked.

"No. I just tried getting over Trish for the thousandth time with some girl and then ended up staying up and thinking about Trish the entire night."

Amy frowned and hugged me, Matt's hand resting on my shoulder. After a few soft words from each of them I headed up the isle. I could see your hair and saw that the seat next to you was empty. For a second I forgot that we weren't speaking and I almost sat down in the chair beside you. Then I remembered and swung my back up on my shoulder again, accidentally hitting Torrie with it.

"Sorry," I said, feeling bad immediately. She just smiled and nodded her forgiveness. I kept walking past you and sat in a chair a few rows ahead; all of us allowed to choose are seats since Mr. McMahon rented out entire planes for us.

I put on my headphones and leaned back into the chair, falling asleep just before take off, wondering what you did a few rows back.

-Trish-

We had a long flight ahead of us, five hours to be exact. About three hours in I stood to go to the bathroom, not noticing that you were already on line for it. I came up behind you without realizing until I caught sight of your boots.

I looked up at you but said nothing because your mouth was already open and forming words.

"Hey Trish," you greeted. I was shocked that you were speaking to me.

"Hey Jeff," I said, nervously shifting my wait.

Simultaneously we both blurted out, "How're you?"

Awkwardly with both responded with our versions of being okay minus soreness and lack of sleep. We said nothing after that though I really wanted to.

"_You reminded me of brighter days  
I hoped you were comin' home to stay  
I was headed to church  
I was off to drink you away"_

-Jeff-

I wanted to say so much to you but I didn't, I chickened out. After going to the bathroom we returned to our seats without so much as a glance at each other and we landed. At one point during the flight I stood, almost coming to sit with you but I chickened out again, giving up on ever getting you back. Once at the airport we all piled into different vans and cars, heading to the hotel, me with Amy and Matt, you with Torrie and Kidman.

I spent that afternoon thinking about you, about all the good timed we'd had before and after matches and how all of this started. With that simple kiss after I dropkicked the Big Show. I never expected to go out to the ring and save you from Victoria and Richards but I saw you were in trouble and couldn't let you get beat down. I never expected to kiss you then either.

The kisses aside I'd learned to enjoy your company. It was nice talking to someone who hasn't known me my entire life or most of it like Amy, Matt, and Shane. And you, in turn, liked talking to someone who was more or less your polar opposite. It was nice.

Once the sun went down I got ready to go find yet another replacement. Once I'd showered and dressed I walked down into the lobby, not expecting to see you there as well.

-Trish-

After our talk on the plane I swore I saw you stand and look back, as though you were considering sitting with me. But you just stretched and sat down again. I sighed, my hopes of gaining you back crushed.

We all went our separate ways once we landed. I went to my room and called my mother, something I'd been doing a lot lately.

After talking for a while she had one piece of advice. "Why don't you go to church honey? I know you never liked going but it's a nice place to think and clear your head."

We talked a little longer before hanging up. At first I was totally against the church idea but then it began to grow on me.

Sighing I mumbled to myself, "There's nothing better to do."

So I got ready, pulling on a nice pair of pants and a shirt before heading downstairs.

I love how fate sticks us in the lobby at the same damn time.

-Jeff-

You looked good. I watched as you walked over to the map stand and began looking at the pamphlet. I needed one too and I wasn't that much of a baby to wait until you left so I walked over and grabbed one as well.

We stood in silence before we almost simultaneously dropped the maps and stared at each other.

"What're you up to tonight?" I asked.

"Church. I need a place to think," you replied. I nodded. "How about you?" you asked.

I hung my head, ashamed of my plans to go drinking and looking for someone else when the person I wanted stood right in front of me. "Drinking," I said slowly afraid of your reaction.

We stared at each other, a long silence between us. I couldn't think of a damn thing to say without making a fool of myself.

We both immediately turned, plans forgotten, as we ran back to our rooms you to the elevator me to the stairs. I didn't care that I was on the tenth floor; I needed to run off my nervous energy.

Once I got back in my room I kicked the bed and sat down on it as I realized how much of an idiot I just was. I could have fixed things and I didn't. Damn I'm an ass hole.

**AN:** The next chapter should be the last one. Feedback is appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: I Swear I'll Change My Ways**

"_I thought about you for a long time  
Can't seem to get you off my mind  
I can't understand why we're living life this way  
I found your picture today  
I swear I'll change my ways  
I just called to say I want you to come back home  
I found your picture today  
I swear I'll change my ways  
I just called to say I want you to come back home  
I just called to say I love you, come back home"_

-Trish-

Once I'd gotten back to my hotel room I laid on the bed and cried. It was starting to hurt every time I saw you. Physically hurt. My stomach twisted and I felt my heart rip a little more every damn time we were in the same general area. When you said you were going drinking it hurt because I know you only drink when you're upset and usually I'd be able to help you with that but now we don't speak and us not speaking is probably why you're drinking.

I was so stupid for answering your phone that day. God I wish I could change it.

-Jeff-

I lay down for a while, my plans for a replacement forgotten as I buried my face in my hands, disappointed in myself for not fixing things between us. I could jump off eighteen-foot ladders with no problem but I couldn't talk to you about our friendship. Or what there is left of it.

Sighing in defeat I pull out my suitcase and decide to repack in neatly so I don't have to do it tomorrow. I find your picture where I put it and I frown at first, thinking of how you looked disappointed at my plans for the night. I wish I could change whatever came between us, hell I'd stop drinking and everything for you, if only you'd talk to me.

But we don't talk so that leaves me with hair dye and vodka.

-Trish-

I don't know why I actually considered going to church; it's such a stupid idea, trying anything to forget you. But I know the only thing that will help me is you. And you can't help me and I can't help you so we're both stuck cause neither of us know how to swallow our damn pride and be together again.

So you're drinking and I'm on the verge of tears. What the hell can I do now other than let the tears fall?

'No,' I thought. I wasn't going to let myself cry, again, over you. Instead I picked up my bag and decided to organize it so it wasn't impossible to find anything. My nails clicked on the back of my picture frame, the same picture frame that held a photo of you and me.

I turned it over and smiled a bit; happy to see us caught in time smiling together instead of the fake smiles we had now. My eyes drifted over to the nightstand and I was so tempted to call you.

-Jeff-

I had taken a few sips of vodka but then it lost its appeal. Instead I dug into my bag and found the picture of us. I stared at it, a small smile on my face. We looked so happy then. I sat in my room, wondering what I had done to upset you so much that you pulled away but I guess it was because you could never really be with me.

My eyes fell on the phone. I wanted to call you but couldn't. What the hell was wrong with me? I jump off of ladders, turnbuckles, stages, anything I can find through tables and onto people without fear and now I can't even call you?

Yeah, I'm extreme all right.

I sat there, feeling sorry for myself like a stupid grade school kid with no life.

"Ah, forget this," I said out loud. I grabbed the phone and dialed your number from memory.

It rang and I held my breath.

-Trish-

I jumped when the phone rang. My hand had been hovering over it for the past minute as I contemplated calling you.

I took a deep breath to calm my heart and picked it up. "Hello?" No answer. "Hello? Anyone there?" I asked.

"Trish?"

I froze. It was you. "Jeff?"

"I…I mean, uhm…I…do you want to, I don't know, hang out? Catch up?" you said. I smiled as you stumbled over your words. That way I didn't feel so stupid.

"Sure, come to my room," I said.

"What number?"

"218" I said. I could practically hear you smile through the phone.

"I'll be there in a minute."

We hung up and I jumped up and ran to the bathroom, checking my reflection to make sure I looked okay. How childish of me.

-Jeff-

When you said yes to hanging out I slammed the phone down, grabbed my room key and ran. Of course I'd have to slow my breathing before knocking on your door so I could appear cool, calm, and collected but we both knew that was far from the truth.

Once I got to your room I ran a hand through my hair and took a deep breath before knocking.

You answered the door and I couldn't help but smile.

"It's been a while," you said.

I nodded. "I'm sorry about that," I said.

You frowned a bit and motioned for me to come inside. I did and looked around; it was so neat unlike my room. Your bag was open and there was a picture on the bed. I walked over and looked down at it and smiled. It was a picture of us, the same one I had in my room.

I looked over at you and you were blushing a little. "We should talk," you said. I nodded and sat on the bed, careful not to sit on your bag or picture. "The reason we haven't talked or hung out much lately is because of me," you said.

"No, it's not," I began, ready to tell you that it's okay if you don't like me.

"Yes it is," you said. Then the story came out. You hung your head when you were finished, I guess you thought I'd be mad but I wasn't. I was relieved that it was all a simple misunderstanding.

"So you do like me?" I asked.

Your head snapped up to look at me. "What?" you asked.

"I thought it was because you hated me or something."

"No I don't hate you, far from it," you said.

I smiled and walked over to you. "So, we're cool?" I asked.

You nodded. "As long as you don't drink yourself stupid anymore,"

I knew that was going to come up. But for you I could do anything, stopping drinking would be easy. "I'll change," I said.

"No, don't change. Be Jeff, but not a drinking Jeff," you said.

I smiled. "As long as you smile more."

You laughed a bit. "Deal."

Most people would shake after making a deal but you and I were most people. We sealed the deal with a hug and, to my shock, a kiss.

-Finish-

AN: I'm sorry for the rushed ending but my inspiration ran away. Thanks to 2Deez for virtually kicking my butt and reminding me I hadn't updated so this chapter is for you!


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